An Iranian national who converted from Islam to Christianity has been recognized as a refugee by a court.

The Seoul Administrative Court, specifically Judge Cho Daehyun of Administrative Division 10, recently ruled in favor of the plaintiff in a lawsuit filed by an Iranian national identified as A, seeking to overturn the Seoul Immigration Office's decision to deny refugee status.

Born into a devout Muslim family, A attended an Islamic seminary but came to realize that Islam did not align with A's conscience.

A subsequently encountered Christianity at a church in Isfahan, decided to convert, and was baptized in a hotel room by Christian missionaries who were disguised as travelers.

Following this, A visited countries such as Turkey, Armenia, and the Philippines to receive Christian education.

After returning to Iran, A engaged in evangelical activities in the form of a "house church," secretly sharing faith at home.

However, in 2018, after a fellow church member was arrested by the police and family members in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned A that the police would soon come for A as well, A entered South Korea via the Philippines that same year.

Having continued to devote himself to worship and missionary work after arriving in South Korea, A applied for refugee recognition in 2020, but the authorities rejected the application, claiming that statements regarding the circumstances of the application were difficult to believe.

Nevertheless, the court acknowledged the credibility of A's statements, noting that the facts described were specific, consistent, and free of distinct contradictions.

The court particularly highlighted that A provided specific details that would be difficult for an Iranian who is not a Christian to know, such as the fact that Christian activities in Iran take place in the form of house churches and that Christian baptism is locally referred to by the slang term "swimming" (수영).

Consequently, considering the treatment of Christians within Iran, the court recognized that there is a well-founded fear that A would face persecution in the home country.

The court pointed out, "Islam is inextricably linked to Iran's national identity," and added, "Under the Islamic religious law of Sharia, individuals who convert from Islam are considered apostates and can even be punished by death, which also constitutes a criminal offense under Iranian law."

The court further ruled, "The various religious activities conducted by A before and after entering South Korea can themselves be regarded as acts of apostasy punishable by death under Iran's constitution, criminal law, and Sharia."

It also explained, "Iran is currently at war with the United States and Israel. In a country facing a major crisis such as war, social cohesion and loyalty to the state are emphasized, and in that process, the risk of human rights violations or discrimination against minorities with beliefs different from the majority increases."

(Photo: Yonhap News)